VOL.96 live report“GARNET CROW LIVE TOUR 2002 〜first live scope〜”

From music freak magazine Vol.96

GARNET CROW’s first concert

Yuri Nakamura (vocals) / Hirohito Furui (keyboards) / Hitoshi Okamoto (guitar) / AZUKI Nana (keyboards)

Live report: *GARNET CROW LIVE TOUR 2002 〜first live scope〜*

October 21, 2002, Akasaka BLITZ

Whenever this magazine conducts a song questionnaire, several GARNET CROW works are always near the top. Their music has a devoted audience. Now they have finally held their first concert, and tickets sold out quickly. Onstage they created a musical world that went beyond their records, making the audience listen closely and drawing them in. Here is our report from the October 21 Akasaka BLITZ performance of their first tour, *GARNET CROW LIVE TOUR 2002 〜first live scope〜*.

When people think of bands performing at Akasaka BLITZ, they often imagine a standing audience throughout the venue. This time, however, GARNET CROW arranged seats on the first floor. Perhaps that meant the concert would invite the audience to listen carefully in a calmer setting and would differ from the usual format. Expectations rose as soon as we entered.

Just after 18:30, almost exactly on schedule, the background music grew louder and the audience began to stir, sensing that the concert was finally about to begin. The lights went out, and the members quietly walked onto the stage. Cheers and applause erupted when the audience saw them. Everyone moved to their positions, and soft guitar phrases began to play. In the clear atmosphere, Nakamura’s rich voice unfolded, and the lyrics and music slowly seeped into the heart. Although it was only the first song, most of the audience had already stood up, and the whole venue was nearly standing.

The stage, covered in bright red cloth, stood out vividly, while the members wore mostly black. Vocalist Yuri Nakamura stood in the center. To the audience’s left were keyboardist Hirohito Furui and guitarist Hitoshi Okamoto; behind center was drummer David C. Brown, and behind them to the left stood support guitarist Yoshinobu Oga and acoustic guitarist Yuichiro Iwai. To the audience’s right was keyboardist AZUKI Nana, behind her bassist Masato Ohashi and backing vocalists Kazuki Fukuda, Saki Hinotera, and Ryoko Matsumoto. Furui and AZUKI stood on opposite sides of Nakamura.

GARNET CROW has always been known as a band that weaves delicate sounds. This time, while preserving the atmosphere of the original songs, the live band made the sound thicker and presented the work with a new, deeper appeal. An irregular screen, almost diamond-shaped, hung above the center of the stage and suggested a beam of light shining in. Within that light, GARNET CROW reflected various stories. The screen showed not only images of the members and evocative scenes but also the lyrics throughout each song, revealing how much care had gone into the show.

After the roughly ninety-minute performance, including the encore, a lingering feeling remained, and we wanted to keep listening. But that satisfaction cannot be measured by length alone. The fact that the first concert could produce such a full experience speaks to the high quality of GARNET CROW’s work itself. The enthusiastic cheers and applause after every song made it clear how exciting the stage had been and how long the audience had been waiting.

After experiencing the songs’ appeal directly, the audience seemed pulled by gravity and drawn deep into the waves of sound pouring from the stage. It was a concert that, once seen, made you want a “next time.”

*To avoid spoiling the experience for people who have not yet seen the concert, this magazine will not reveal details before the final show on December 16. A fuller live report and setlist are planned for the January issue.*

Additional performances confirmed!

*GARNET CROW LIVE TOUR 2002 〜first live scope〜*

• December 11 (Wed): SHIBUYA-AX, doors 18:00, show 18:30. Inquiries: H.I.P, 03-3475-9999.
• December 16 (Mon): Namba Hatch, doors 18:00, show 18:30. Inquiries: Sound Creator, 06-3475-4400.

Public ticket sales begin November 23 (Sat). Reserved seating throughout, ¥5,000 (tax included).

Nagoya performance confirmed!

*MITSUBISHI MOTORS “COLT” presents FM Festival ’02 GARNET CROW Special Live*

November 25 (Mon): Nagoya Club Quattro, doors 18:00, show 18:30.
Inquiries: SUNDAY FOLK, 052-320-9100.
Standing admission: ¥5,250 (tax included).

New single

The song played after the concert is coming out on CD. It is a mid-tempo pop song following *スパイラル*.

New single *クリスタル・ゲージ* confirmed for December 11!
Coupling song: *Crier Girl & Crier Boy 〜ice cold sky〜*
GZCA-7006 / ¥1,000 (tax included) / GIZA studio